United States President Donald Trump’s decision to remove 40% tariffs on several Brazilian products was widely celebrated by entities and associations linked to industry and agriculture.
The American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil (Amcham) published a note in which it “evaluates as very positive” the repeal of the 40% extra tariff for a list of mostly agricultural items, such as coffee, beef, bananas, tomatoes, açaí, cashew nuts and tea. The exemption has retroactive effect to November 13th and will allow refunds for products already exported.
For the organization, the measure is an important step towards the normalization of bilateral trade “with immediate effects for the competitiveness of the Brazilian companies involved and signals a concrete result of the high-level dialogue between the two countries”.
However, for Amcham, it is necessary to intensify the dialogue between Brazil and the USA to eliminate surcharges on products that continue to be impacted.
The National Confederation of Industry (CNI) also spoke out.
“The American government’s decision to remove the 40% tariff on 249 Brazilian agricultural products is a concrete step forward in renewing the bilateral agenda and is consistent with Brazil’s role as a major trading partner of the United States,” declared Ricardo Alban, president of the entity, in a statement.
Alban also said that “we see the expansion of exceptions with great optimism and we believe that the measure restores part of the role that Brazil has always had as one of the major suppliers to the American market”.
The Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais (FIEMG) considered that the measure provides relief to “sectors that had been facing a loss of competitiveness in the North American market”.
FIEMG recalls that it has always defended constant and technical negotiation between the two countries “as a central instrument for the resumption of adequate trade conditions”.
Tariff still has impacts
The acting president and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, stated this Friday (21) that 22% of Brazilian exports to the United States remain subject to surcharges imposed by the North American government.
According to Alckmin, the new decision represents the biggest advance so far in bilateral negotiations.
